The Slender Waist-Chapter 418 - 302: What Kind of Monster Beast

Xiaoman retreated but came back in no time, trembling as she spoke:

"To answer the lady, the General has taken his medicine and gone to sleep. We did not dare to wake him. Could we possibly wait, just wait a little longer before..."

"Wait? I can wait, but can the Empress Dowager?" Feng Yun gave Xiaoman a meaningful look, "Haven’t you gone to call someone yet?"

Xiaoman bowed her head and withdrew: "As you command."

Feng Yun turned back to Li Sangruo, "The servants lack discipline, and I apologize if they’ve caused you any amusement."

With that, she stood up as if she had become someone else, attentively poured tea and water for Li Sangruo, and spoke with a soft and gentle voice:

"The Empress Dowager is compassionate towards her subjects, it is our fortune to serve under her grace. Your Highness has personally visited our residence, not to mention simply taking medicine and lying down—even if he was too sick to get up, we would have to carry him out to greet you. Otherwise, that would be sheer ingratitude."

Li Sangruo frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable.

The more Feng Yun spoke with apparent humility, the more Li Sangruo reflected on her words, and they all seemed insincere.

Moreover, what Li Sangruo found most intolerable was Feng Yun’s attitude of acting as the female head of the house, as if she had the final say in everything concerning Pei Jue...

"Madam, you are too kind." Li Sangruo restrained her emotions, lifted the tea cup, but before it touched her lips, set it back down again, and cast a sidelong glance at Feng Yun with indifference.

"Once the Imperial edict from Central Capital arrives, the General will be the first official in the Great Jin Dynasty to receive the ceremony of nine bestowments. Second only to His Majesty, and above ten thousand people, the General can avoid anyone he wishes, except for the Emperor."

"Is... is what Your Highness says true?"

Feng Yun acted as though she was hearing this news for the first time, feigning shock, her face flushed with a visible panic.

"My husband has been on the battlefield for half his life, fighting for the country, all on his passionate bravery alone; how could he dare to have such lofty aspirations? Besides, we have already handed over the command tally and seal; if the Imperial Court confers the nine bestowments now, those who do not know might think the General forced the issue with ulterior motives."

Li Sangruo stared at her pale face, momentarily puzzled.

What role was the Feng Family woman playing?

Could it be that Pei Jue genuinely surrendered his command tally and seal and was no longer leading troops?

Li Sangruo grew increasingly suspicious that something was amiss, her lips curling into a small, hollow smile.

"The General’s merit is enough to merit the ceremony of nine bestowments."

Feng Yun managed a forced smile, appearing somewhat at a loss.

Watching her expression, Li Sangruo made some inconsequential remarks, but the suspicion that there was something strange about the matter only grew stronger.

She did not believe that Pei Jue was too sick to get out of bed, even less so that he was in a sleep so deep he could not be woken. Convinced that Feng Yun was stalling for time, she sat for a while, growing impatient, and rose with a stern face:

"It seems the servants are unable to fetch the Great General. Perhaps I should go see him myself?"

Feng Yun also stood, "How can that be appropriate? It should be my husband’s duty to receive you. For the Empress Dowager to personally visit him would be far too disrespectful..."

"It’s of no concern." Li Sangruo was confident in her judgement and did not give Feng Yun a chance to refuse. She signaled to a Palace Attendant, and they proceeded majestically towards the back yard.

Feng Yun hurried after her, saying, "It’s windy outside and cold. Please take this hand warmer."

Li Sangruo was on her guard; she would not even drink water, much less accept something from her.

"No need. I am not cold," she said, quickening her pace.

The yard was filled with lush trees that cast dark shadows, especially since it had just snowed, with icicles hanging from the branches. A gust of cold wind caused the snow on the trees to rustle and fall.

Feng Yun added, "The ground is slippery. Please be careful, Your Highness."

Speaking, she was about to step forward to assist when Li Sangruo, sensing something was amiss, refused, "Madam, there is no need for such formalities. I have known the General since childhood; we do not stand on such ceremony. I will go see him myself; you need not accompany me. Please attend to your duties."

It was somewhat shameless to visit someone else’s husband in their home without the wife’s accompaniment, especially taking advantage of the Empress Dowager’s status. After all, she wasn’t an old woman but a young lady of beauty. Who could feel comfortable about that?

It was clearly a provocation.

The servants all lowered their heads, while Feng Yun actually smiled.

"Very well. The General has a temper, and waking him abruptly can be quite frightening. It’s better for the Empress Dowager to be there."

With those words, she genuinely stopped walking, stood under the cloister, and showed no intention of following.

Li Sangruo was already intent on making things difficult for her and took her words as permission to be even less courteous.

Turning her head, she said to the waiting servant, "Let’s go." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The back yard was quiet, the vegetation dense. Suddenly, a fiery-red figure darted out from the diagonal, as swift as the wind, with a bizarre shape and ferocious momentum, pouncing towards Li Sangruo with a low growl...

"Protect Her Highness!" The servants were shocked, but it was too late.

Li Sangruo had no time to react when the "beast" from above smacked her squarely on the face, stepping on it. She screamed as she closed her eyes in fear, slipping on the wet ground and falling in a heap as she tried to escape...

The beast did not spare her, baring its teeth and turning to pounce again fiercely.

"Ah!" Li Sangruo screamed in terror, wetting herself in fear, hugging her head, and curling up among the frost-covered plants in the flower bed, shivering violently. Meanwhile, the beast vaulted into the trees, the falling snow its shaking dislodged covered Li Sangruo, but the creature disappeared without a trace in an instant.

"Your Highness, it’s gone, that beast has gone."

Li Sangruo looked back at the Palace Attendant, collapsed to the ground, and cursed aloud.

"Investigate for Us, what was that creature just now..."

The beast appeared suddenly and moved extremely agilely, causing the palace attendants to panic while protecting the Empress Dowager. They were too frightened to see clearly.

A maid said, "That beast, its whole body was covered in red fur, with sharp teeth. Its head was very round and large, and its eyes—those eyes were terrifying. I’ve never seen anything like it before..."

That was as good as saying nothing.

But that was the impression left on the others, including Li Sangruo herself. A fiery red beast, very fast, like a fleeting shadow; they simply hadn’t had time to see it clearly before it vanished.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, what happened?"

Only then did Feng Yun arrive, slowly making her way to the scene. Seeing Li Sangruo drenched and filthy from rolling on the ground, her eyes widened in shock.

"Who is that blind fool who has the audacity to show such disrespect to Your Highness... Quick, help Her Highness inside," she urged.

Then, she added with a laugh, "The General has awakened, and knowing that Your Highness came to visit, he was very pleased..."

Pleased?

Li Sangruo felt extreme hatred in her heart.

How could she meet Pei Jue looking like this?

She suspected that the "beast" operated under Feng Yun’s command, but without evidence, she couldn’t make baseless accusations, nor could she behave as recklessly towards Feng Yun as she had in the past.

As if a mute who had consumed bitter herbs, she had nowhere to vent her anger. She clenched her fists, suppressing her rage, and shook her soaked clothes. "In this state, it is improper for Us to visit the sick. I will return to change. If the Great General doesn’t feel well, let him rest properly. Us will visit another day."

Feng Yun paused, her face falling in disappointment. She personally escorted Li Sangruo to the doorway, bowing deeply.

"Empress Dowager, please be careful. The snow is heavy, and the road is slippery."

She then handed over a hand warmer with a face full of sympathetic smile. "Take this, don’t let yourself catch a cold."

Li Sangruo peered at Feng Yun’s superficially smiling face, then turned her head and got into the carriage.

Back at Cuiyu, when she saw the bird Chunyu Yan had sent hanging in the room, she suddenly felt suffocated.

"Who allowed it to be hung here? Take it out."

The maids lowered their heads, agreeing in unison.

Keeping the bird close had been the Empress Dowager’s own wish.

But they dared not utter another word.

-

Snow covered Xinzhou City; the temperature plummeted during the night. Feng Yun curled up in bed, her hands and feet icy cold despite the heated floors burning all night, failing to warm her.

The baby ao lay beside her bed and suddenly seemed to sense something, lowering its head and listening for a moment before slowly rising and moving to the other side.

There was a "big cat bed," which Feng Yun had prepared for it.

Normally, the baby ao didn’t use it, unless... Pei Jue came.

Feng Yun startled, and peeking from under the covers, she saw a tall figure outside the door, its silhouette softly falling through the hanging curtain.

He asked, "Has the lady retired for the night?"

In Xiaoman’s voice, there was an undeniable surge of joy.

"General, the lady has just gone to bed."

Pei Jue hummed in acknowledgment, walked over, and slowly pushed open the door. He saw the young lady standing by the door, like a cedar after a spring rain—spotlessly clean. Her face was pale, and she gazed at him intently, her eyes as bright as stars in the dark night, strikingly brilliant.

"Lady Yun..."

His eyes showed a hint of red, his chin covered in stubble he hadn’t had time to shave, visibly exhausted, haggard from travel, yet only his eyes shone lively and bright. Without saying a word, one could imagine how desperately he had raced through the night against the snowstorm, eager to return home.

Her eyes reddened slightly, "Finally, you’re back. If you hadn’t come, I wouldn’t know how to cope any longer."

Before her words fell silent, her soft body was already in his arms. Pei Jue’s chest sank heavily as he wrapped his arms around her, gently stroking her back, patting twice.

"It’s all right now, everything’s all right."

His body was cold, the chill penetrating through their clothes, seeming to seep up from her feet, making Feng Yun shiver.

"Did everything go smoothly?"

"Smoothly," Pei Jue lowered his eyes, focusing on her. "Lady Yun, you’ve lost weight."

How could she possibly have lost weight in just two or three days?

Feng Yun gave him a reproachful look, eager to know the outcome of the events. Pei Jue, however, was in no hurry. He led her to sit by the brazier, tilting his head back to down a cup of hot tea, calmly pulled her onto his lap, his head burrowing into her neck, his breath burning hot.

"Let’s talk over at the bed."